This year, The Musicians Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary and we’re very proud of achieving the recent benchmark of awarding over one million dollars in scholarship grants to over 500 music college students since 2004!
Let’s congratulate & celebrate all of our 2024 Musicians Foundation scholarship award winners!
Aakanksha Asabe, Mamoun Bouab, Shawn Bowling, Chen Cao, Danny Cappelli, Jieyu Chen, Yiwei Chen, Amy Cheng, Nolan Dailey, Robert Darch, Jujie Deng, Mochun Gong, Shem Guevara, Keilys Gutierrez, Jax Hinerfeld, Cheng Li, Chaitanya Nanda, Dylan Nguyen, Shuchang Quan, Mikael Ravn, Lídia Silva, Sofia Solano, Evrim Tao Ozen, Hui Yang, Tianhe Yang, Shenghao Yu, Ziteng Zhao. (not pictured: Helping Hand Scholarship winners and 18 scholarship winners in the MI Summershot Program).
Our Spring 2025 scholarship applications are available NOW for newly enrolling and continuing students at Musicians Institute w/more added soon. Click below:
The Musicians Foundation Bass Scholarship has been awarded to Amy Cheng, who comes to Musicians Institute‘s Associate of Arts in Bass Performance program from Taiwan with 6 years of bass playing experience and a specialization in R&B, Neo Soul and Funk genres.
When asked why she chose to study at MI, Amy shared “MI has professional teachers and precision equipment. I am looking forward to learning in such an excellent environment, improving my playing on the bass and becoming a professional bass player. While at MI I expect to acquire more musical knowledge, learning more theory and technique about bass and having musical communication with everyone in the school.”
Amy described her long-term career goals as follows, “After graduation, I hope I can be a good session player, form my own band and make good use of the knowledge and techniques that I have learned from school, and become a professional musician. I expect I can keep learning and improving myself in the future.”
Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Amy for winning this prestigious scholarship!
Special thanks to The Pat Hicks Endowment fund for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented and deserving students like Amy with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
The Audio Engineering Program at Musicians Institute is pleased to announce Robert Darch as the winner of the Hosa Technology Audio Engineering Scholarship at MI.
In winning this award, the current Certificate in Audio Engineering student convincingly and clearly articulated his career goals in his scholarship essay submission. Robert comes to MI by way of Buffalo, New York with 2 years of prior audio engineering experience and also a strong interest in engineering Underground rap music.
When asked “why did you choose to study at MI and what do you hope to learn while studying in the Audio Engineering Program at MI”, Robert shared that “I chose MI for its reputation and location and I aim to refine my engineering skills along with adapting to Pro Tools.”
Regarding his future goals and aspirations, he added, “My career goals are to become successful in the music business as a record producer & artist while making an impact with a brand new sound..”
Everyone at MI congratulates Robert on winning this prestigious award, as he pursues his audio engineering studies and enjoys the many great experiences ahead at MI!
Special thanks to our industry partner, Hosa Technology for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide students like Robert with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
The Musicians Foundation Electronic Music Production Scholarship at has been awarded to Lídia Silva, who comes to Musicians Institute having lived in the US for a decade (and is originally from Sao Paulo. Brazil), armed with several years of singing, performing and producing experience.
When asked why she chose to study at MI, Lídia stated “Electronic Music Production is something that has been growing in me to get more knowledge for a while and when I was doing my research I found the EMP at MI. The program looked great, it had everything I was looking for and so I was talking to a friend/artist that I respect and look up to and he told me he went there and was a great decision for his career, he said it was a place where he built himself and became a part of a community. That conversation spoke to my heart and I had “that feeling” Musicians Institute is the right place for me.”
While studying at MI, she describes that her focus will be on ”coming into this experience to master my music production skills, to learn how to create professional-level recordings experimenting with different sounds, vocals, songwriting approaches, and artistic expressions. I’m hoping I get more knowledge in branding as well.”
She added, “My dream is to contribute meaningfully to evolution. I’m all about innovation, to create music that resonates with everyone on a personal level connecting directly with the soul, to motivate, to bring joy and lift people up specially the ones that feel overlooked or like they’ve run out of time from pursuing their passion. My goal is to write, sing, produce and perform songs establishing a large outreach where my funds are able to also raise women up in projects connected to health and wellness. My career goal is to become a successful artist and music producer, to be able to create a unique sound that includes electronic music elements. I aim to make a positive impact and to be remembered with cultural significance.”
Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Lídia for winning this prestigious scholarship!
Special thanks to The Pat Hicks Endowment fund for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented and deserving students like Lídia with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
The Musicians Foundation Bachelor of Music in Music Composition for Visual Media Scholarship for 2024 has been awarded to Aakanksha Asabe.
Aakanksha comes to Musicians Institute from India and is currently enrolled in MI’s Bachelor of Music in Music Composition for Visual Media program, she shares that “I have been pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Composition for Film, TV, and Visual Media at Musicians Institute in Hollywood for the past three years. I am a dedicated film composer and conductor recognized for my distinctive musical style, seamlessly blending orchestral and electronic elements in film scores.”
She describes her work as follows, “My compositions intricately weave the cultural richness of Indian classical music with the expansive grandeur of Hollywood orchestration, showcasing a unique and sophisticated approach to cinematic music.”
During her continuing studies MI, Aakanksha shared the following about her educational focus, “I plan to learn about orchestration and film scoring from my teachers.”
She added, “MI has helped me with networking. I got the opportunity to work with a Student Director, Ms.”Wen Everitt” from ArtCenter College of Design, on an animation project “Meat Cute,” which won a Film Festival award in Los Angeles 2024. This scholarship has motivated me to work more and explore different genres in scoring. I look forward to working on short films and advertisements with new-age directors.”
Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Aakanksha for winning this prestigious scholarship!
Special thanks to The Pat Hicks Endowment fund for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Aakanksha with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
When asked why he chose to study at MI, he shared, “I chose MI because of the great things I have heard about it from MI alumni! While at MI, I hope to learn how to use my skills in audio engineering and refine them to use for my career.”
Jax described his long-term career goals as follows “My main goal in audio engineering is to engineer a song that reaches the Billboard charts! In all of music, one of my longtime goals has been to create a microtonal song in a western music style that appeals to the public rather than all the very niche attempts of this I have found.”
Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Jax for winning this prestigious scholarship!
Special thanks to The Pat Hicks Endowment fund for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Jax with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
Cheng Li has been awarded The Musicians Foundation MI Online “APE” Program Scholarship and comes to Musicians Institute with more than 3 years of producing experience and is currently enrolled in MI’s Certificate in Artist/Producer/Entrepreneur (Online) Program. Cheng was born Beijing, China, and raised in Minsk, Belarus, and describes himself as “all self-taught and entirely fueled by passion and drive to become the best musician I can be.”
When asked why he chose to study at MI, Cheng shared, “MI and I seemed to be great fits for each other in my current stage as a student and musician, and I believe with what MI can offer, I will be able to make great things happen with my music.”
He added, “During my studies at MI, I hope to learn all the skills to be able to turn my talent into a career, more than just a hobby. I believe there is a lot that I will be able to learn here that will help realize my goals.”
Cheng described his long-term career goals as follows, “My answer for this is really simple, I feel like I have the capabilities to become more than just an underground artist. I want to pioneer a certain style of sound, MY style of sound and music, and leave my own mark on culture.”
Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Cheng for winning this prestigious scholarship!
Special thanks to The Pat Hicks Endowment fund for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented and deserving students like Cheng with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
When asked why she decided to pursue her studies at MI, she shared, “I chose MI because of the 6-month programs that were available for what I was interested in learning about. I didn’t want to get myself into doing a 4-year college. I hope to learn more about the music industry and how it runs!”
Keilys expressed that her long-term career goals as follows, “I aspire to become an artist. I found that learning about music business is the first step to achieve that. Thank you so much for this opportunity to pursue and embody my biggest dream!”
Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Keilys for winning this prestigious scholarship!
Special thanks to The Pat Hicks Endowment fund for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Keilys with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
The Musicians Foundation Vocal Scholarship has been awarded to Sofia Solano, who is currently enrolled in the Associate of Arts in Performance (Vocal) program and comes to Musicians Institute from Washington state where she has lived for the last 9 years; having been born in Managua, Nicaragua, and growing up in Medellin, Colombia. Sofia has six years of vocal performance experience in theatrical, solo and ensemble settings and a specialization performing Boleros.
She shared, “Performing Boleros make me feel incredibly connected to my culture, and it might be one of the most beautiful forms of writing I have ever heard. This genre constantly inspires me.”
When asked why she chose to study at MI, Sofia stated “I attended MI’s Summer Shot last summer. Honestly, I was incredibly nervous about attending the program cause I felt that MI was the perfect fit for me, and I didn’t want to be wrong. What I ended up experiencing was far greater than any expectation I had set in my head. The community and mentorship I experienced in just one week at MI left an indelible impression, reaffirming the idea that I needed to attend this institution.”
Describing her focus of her studies at MI she added, “I have been heavily interested in music theory for a long time. I have bought all kinds of books on the topic to teach myself as much as I can. I am also heavily interested in live sound engineering and have never been exposed to an environment where that is something I could learn or participate in. With MI’s curriculum, these are now very real possibilities for me. In a broader sense, I want to learn more about my strengths and weaknesses and how to become a better musician through them. Whether through making mistakes or putting myself out there, I hope that by the end of this quarter, through all my experience and classes, I learn more about myself as a musician and collaborator.”
When asked about the significance of winning this scholarship, Sofia shared “I was incredibly nervous to embark on this journey for many reasons. I am the first person in my family ever to try to pursue music as a career, and as an immigrant woman, that is extra scary cause I naturally already have a lot of weight on my shoulders. There isn’t a blueprint on how to embark on this journey or career, and what I have navigated already, I have done mostly by myself. I have never had someone hold my hand and tell me, “You’re on the right path!” and because music means the absolute world, I was terrified of not being on the “right” path. This scholarship is a tremendous financial help for my family and a sign that I am on the right path, have done the right things, and have prepared myself enough for this next step. It has reassured me that I am ready for this next chapter.”
She described her long-term career goals as follows, “My goal is to be a performer, share music with others, and help them escape everyday life. I dream of writing, performing, recording, and sharing music. Although performance is the one thing that truly makes me happy, I am also considering music education and therapy. Both these career paths have the one thing that truly matters to me: impacting others by introducing or sharing the beauty of music, even for just one moment. Music is the world’s universal language, bringing us together somehow. If I can be part of why we can share and experience music, I know I am doing what I was born to do.”
Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Sofia for winning this prestigious scholarship!
Special thanks to The Pat Hicks Endowment fund for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented and deserving students like Sofia with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.
Nolan comes to MI’s Guitar Program from Seattle with 11 years of playing experience and in possession of solid melodic soloing skills in a variety of genres and a specialization in instrumental rock and an interest in fusion and jazz. He cites Joe Satriani and MI alum Mateus Asato as important influences.
During his studies, he will focus on “Learning more theory and how to apply it to guitar and implement it into my own writing. Learning about the music industry is also important to me so that I can feel confident and knowledgeable working as a professional down the line.”
When asked why he chose to study at MI, Nolan added “I chose to study at MI for multiple reasons. First off, it has one of the best guitar programs in the country, proven by alumni like Paul Gilbert and Mateus Asato. I also like the amount of focus they have on teaching about the industry, alongside the fact that MI is right in the middle of it in Hollywood..”
Asked what the winning this scholarship award means to him, he shared “This scholarship means to me that I’m on the right track. I am honored to be receiving it, and it feels great to see my hard work being acknowledged.”
He describes his professional goals and aspirations as follows: “My dream is simply to be able to make a living by making music. That could mean touring with a band, scoring movies, making music for video games, or anything where I get to be creative musically.”
Everyone at MI congratulates Nolan on winning this very prestigious scholarship award!
Special thanks to an anonymous MI Guitar Program alumnus (GIT class of 1980) for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Nolan with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful careers in the music industry.
To learn more about the MI Alumni Community click HERE
The Musicians Foundation News 